Endorsement: Rob Hogg for US Senate

We are proudly endorsing Rob Hogg for US Senate against Iowa's incumbent Republican Chuck Grassley.

Rob has been a state senator representing Cedar Rapids, where in 2008 he witnessed devastating climate-changed floods causing billions of dollars in damage. He’s also been Iowa’s fiercest climate hawk. As head of Iowa Climate Advocates, he organized a statement by Iowa scientists to acknowledge climate change impacts across Iowa way back in 2011. He spoke out for the 2012 initiative Iowa Renewable Jobs 2020. Rob also wrote a 2013 book, America’s Climate Century, a call for Americans based on our history, our culture, and our values to lead the world in the fight against climate change. And he was an early endorser of the Great March For Climate Action last year.

But don’t just take our word for it. Rob’s announcement shines a spotlight on climate change. “I am making climate action a centerpiece of my campaign.”

Iowa’s primary will be June 7, 2016, long after the national media spotlight has left the state, where Rob faces a perennial also-ran. We expect him to win the primary. Then in the general election it’s Rob vs Chuck Grassley, who favors the Keystone XL pipeline and doesn’t like carbon taxes, cap and trade, EPA regulations, or American action without China action. Grassley rates a −3 in the 114th Congress per our Senate scorecard (scores range from +100 to −100), and we gave him some positive points for his work on wind energy. Beating an established Senate veteran in a general election is never an easy task, but this cycle Republicans don’t seem to like their establishment very much. And of course we’ll be backing up our endorsement with fieldwork after the national spotlight leaves Iowa.